3 offseason decisions that are already paying dividends for New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils had a very busy offseason, adding eight players to the opening-night lineup (including those on the injured list) and hiring a new coaching staff. Some players have clearly showed they were the right move at the right time.
Currently sitting at second in the Metropolitan Division and with nine wins so far in the 2024-25 NHL campaign, it appears the offseason moves General Manager Tom Fitzgerald made paid off for the New Jersey Devils. Fitzgerald said after last season that he recognized precisely what the Devils needed for a successful future.
"I know exactly what this team needs,” Fitzgerald said at the time. “I know exactly what these individuals need. I know what they want, and they crave. They’ve been craving.”
And with the flurry of moves made this offseason to positively affect the depth of the team's foundation — how would we rank the top three as the Devils look to captivate their tenth win of the season?
3. Emphasizing Physicality
While size certainly isn't the only metric used to judge a team's toughness, it doesn't hurt. In the offseason, the Devils added size via trades, the draft and in the free agency market.
With Paul Cotter, Stefan Noesen, Brett Pesce, Brenden Dillon, and Johnathan Kovacevic having a combined 692 hits last season, the expectation was that the Devil's new additions would add toughness to a roster that had been perceived as shaky at best.
Bringing in respected veterans and professionals is exactly how the Devils' raised their bar. Adding guys to the ice who will finish their checks and play like there is no tomorrow is just what they needed to add to their roster.
2. Prioritizing Goaltending and Defensemen
One of the Devils' biggest issues after last season was obviously goaltending. This need was met by trading for former Calgary Flames netminder Jacob Markstrom. The 34-year-old, former Vezina finalist was brought to Newark for a 2025 first-round pick (top-10 protected) and defenseman Kevin Bahl.
Though, the Devils did not make it easy on their list of goaltenders last season either, which has made defense the new priority this offseason. Instead of utilizing the 10th overall pick in a trade, the Devils decided to add to their defensive prospect list with the selection of Russian Anton Silayev.
Additionally, the Devils also traded defenseman John Marino and a fifth-round pick to the Utah Hockey Club to move up to the 49th overall pick in the most recent draft and received a 2025 second-round pick. This gives the Devils three second-round picks in 2025 (barring Jake Allen playing 40+ games) to play with at the NHL Trade Deadline.
Another trade sent Alexander Holtz and Akira Schmid to the Vegas Golden Knights for Paul Cotter and a third-round pick in 2025. All of these moves left the Devils with nearly $20 million in available space and much bigger free agency names available than initially expected—a huge reason why they were able to land Brett Pesce.
1. Hiring Sheldon Keefe
In May of 2024, Sheldon Keefe was hired as head coach of the New Jersey Devils. He replaced Travis Green and has had a huge impact on the Devils' organization.
While the Toronto Maple Leafs had fired him on May 9th after going 212-97-40 in five seasons and 16-21 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, he still guided Toronto to the playoffs in each of his five seasons. The Maple Leafs went 46-26-10 this season to finish third in the Atlantic Division but lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the Eastern Conference First Round.
Keefe played 125 games in the NHL as a winger with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He coached the OHL Soo Greyhounds for three years and the AHL Toronto Marlies for five years before taking over the Leafs, working with former Toronto general manager Kyle Dubas at each stop.
"This is an exciting time, and I'm honored to be a member of the Devils' organization," Keefe said in a statement at the time of the hiring. "To have the chance to lead this young, dynamic team and to see the potential that can still be unlocked is all very attractive for me."
With the Devils already competing for their tenth win of the season and fighting for first place, clearly having him as a coach has made an immediate impact.
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